BIBLICAL & SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENTo.b5z.net/i/u/10137465/f/Biblical_Discernment_4.pdfDetermine Where You and Where You Want to Go ! Determine Direction and Distance ! Important to ensure

BIBLICAL & SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

Dr. Kenneth W. Jones, Pastor, Practical Living Ministry

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11/11/15

copyright@PLM TEACHINGS

Why Is This Teaching Important?

Biblical and Spiritual discernment is an area where most Christians stumble.

Many Christians exhibit little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible standard of God's Word, and

they find themselves engaging in all kinds of unbiblical decision-making and behavior.

We are supposed to arm ourselves and take a decisive, biblical stand against the onslaught of false teachings,

unbiblical thinking and attitudes and snares placed before us by an enemy who seeks to deceive us.

11/11/15 copyright@PLM TEACHINGS

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Scripture

1st Thessalonians 5:21,22: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of

evil. (KJV) But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

abstain from every form of evil. (NASB)

¨ We have a responsibility to discern the truth and to avoid any appearance of evil in the world.

¨ God does not want us “tossed to and fro” by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14) and misled and deceived by seducing spirits (1 Tim 4:1)


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What is Discernment?

¨  In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong.

¨  Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth as it relates to competing philosophies, culture, or events

¨  A discerning mind demonstrates wisdom and insight that go beyond what is seen and heard. ¤  God’s Word is “spiritually discerned.” To the human mind without the

Spirit, the things of God are “foolishness” (1st Cor 2:14). The Spirit, then, gives us spiritual discernment.


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Land Navigation Story

¨  I attended Fort Benning Officer School ¨  Training included a land navigation

course – Requirements: ¤ Find six points in 3 hours ¤  Use Tools: Map, compass, tools &

manual ¤  Individual effort to prepare for one

day leading others ¤ Each soldier to determine his or her

own course


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Land Navigation Cont’d

¨  To Successfully Navigate ¤  You need the right tools or equipment and to know

how to use them (2 Tim 2:15; 2 Cor 4:2) ¤  You need to be able to know where you are so that

you can orientate yourself (Romans 8:14) ¤  Train your senses to the area where you are

navigating and look out for obstacles (Hebrews 5:14)

¤  Be confident in the compass and your map (Proverbs 3:5,6)

¤  Refer to your training manual when you need further explanation and guidance (Psalms 32:8)


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First Rule: Orientate Yourself

¨  Determine Where You and Where You Want to Go

¨  Determine Direction and Distance ¤  Important to ensure you are going in the

right direction in your spiritual walk or in pursuing your God-given purpose

¤  Also, consider the distance and the terrain to include obstacles and ensure that you “count the cost” of your walk with God

¤  “There will be weeds and briars along the way 11/11/15


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Back to My Story

¨  During the Land Navigation Course, I had to find six points in 3 hours ¤  To fail meant to be “recycled” or released from

the school

¨  As I started the course, I found the first three points without any difficulty successfully using the tools provided to me and carefully discerning the terrain around me


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Then All of a Sudden..

¨  A fellow soldier jumped out of the bushes ¤  He wore the same uniform as I did, but I

could see he wasn’t in the same unit ¤  He seemed sincere and wanted to help me ¤  He asked me where was I going and I

showed him on the map my next destination

¤  He told me that he knew where that location was and to follow him

¤  In a lapse of judgment, seeking an “easy” way, I followed him (breaking the rules)- I didn’t say I was perfect

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Realizing My Mistake

¨  We ran through the woods looking for the point marker ¤  After 30 minutes, the fellow soldier said, “Well, I

guess I don’t know where it is. I have my points, so goodbye.”

¤  He ran off into the woods, leaving me alone and dis-oriented

¤  I was convicted because I allowed myself to be deceived and not followed the rules

¤  I was confused and afraid that I only had about 30 minutes to find the other 3 points and complete the course

¤  In the midst of confusion, conviction, and fear, I knew I couldn’t just give up – God was still on the throne

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Making the Correction

¨  I went back to my last known point of success and began to “re-orientate” myself ¤  I found the next two points and with 15

minutes to go, I was looking for my last point ¤  Standing on top of the hill, I called out to

God to help me and I ran down the hill in “faith”

¤  I tripped, and rolled down the hill landing in a bed of thorns – Ouch!

¤  Feeling forsaken, I moaned unto the Lord, “God I thought you were going to help me?”


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Rejoice!

¨  I looked up from the bed of thorns and saw the final marker

¨  I rejoiced before God and copied the data I needed and made haste to the finish point – I made it with only two minutes to spare

¨  Several valuable lessons was learned that day


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Lessons Learned

¨  The enemy, Satan, is always out there to get you off your path ¤  He may appear in the same uniform, a wolf in sheep clothing, from

within the body of Christ in hopes to deceive, steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10; 2 Cor 11:14)

¨  There are some who may be sincere in their teaching and desires to help you, but may be sincerely wrong

¨  As Christians, it is essential that we compete according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5)


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Lessons Learned

¨  When you find yourself disoriented, go back to your last point of success and reorient

¨  God has given you His Word, His Spirit, and principles for successful Christian living, be prosperous and in health ¤  Abide in His Word, Let His Spirit abide in you; follow the manual

– Success is in our obedience

¨  While the “Bed of Thorns” may represent the consequences of our disobedience, God is still able to reveal the final point or principle we need to recover ourselves


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God’s Word and God’s Will

¨  God reveals His will & His Word to us primarily in two ways: ¤  First, through His Spirit: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he

will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13 & 1 John 20,27

¤  Second, God reveals His will through His Word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalms 119:105)

¨  That is why it is critical that we be able to properly discern both 11/11/15 copyright@PLM TEACHINGS

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Importance of Biblical Teaching

2nd Chronicles 15: 1-6 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek

him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a

teaching priest, and without law. 4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.

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•  The priests teaching role was vital to the moral and spiritual quality of national life, but when it was neglected, the truth about God declined and the fabric of covenant

society was undermined. (Selman)

Biblical Discernment

Acts 17:10-12: The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the

Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for

they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures

daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed,

along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

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The Bible Provides:

¨  God’s Will or Intent for the Believer ¨  Principles for Abundant Living

¨  Answers Questions on How we Manage our Relationship with God & One Another

¨  How to Overcome and Receive Deliverance

¨  God’s Plan for Mankind ¨  Principles for Living a Christian Life –

Discipleship

¨  A manual for Spiritual Warfare

This is why is so important for the believer to understand and discern truth

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Trained to Discern

¨  Hebrews 5:14 - But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

¤ Senses trained: faculty of the mind for perceiving, understanding, judging

¤ We must be trained (disciplined) in the area of discernment


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Confusing Biblical Accuracy

¨  The following criteria are what many people who call themselves Christians are using to test reality and truth today: ¤  Experiences, manifestations, feelings, emotions ¤ Numbers of followers and people who claim to be saved ¤  Signs and wonders, purported miracles (whether real or

false) ¤  Subjective testimonies ¤ How successful and rich a teacher is ¤  If a person speaks with authority ¤  The atmosphere of a meeting


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The Bereans

¨  They searched the Scriptures. They investigated what the Word of God said, and how Paul’s teaching matched up with it.

¨  They also searched the Scriptures daily to find out. It wasn’t a one time, quick look. They made it a point of diligent, extended study. ¤  By the Way, You won’t get there if you only open your book on

Sunday or listen to your favorite speaker

¨  They received the word with all readiness: Diligently searching the Scriptures didn’t make them skeptics, but they rejoiced in the truth of the gospel that Paul preached ¤  Don’t search or investigate the scriptures just to tear something

down. Your heart should be focused on the truth and what it accomplishes for the believer


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The Bereans

¨  Therefore many of them believed: ¤  When the Word of God is taught properly or rightly divided and

discerned – People believe and when people believe, signs follow

¤  Mark 16:17: And these signs shall follow them that believe

¨  The received, researched and responded to the word of God that they heard from these teachers. ¤  First it says that they, ‘received the word with all readiness.’ The

original word for ‘received’ means to rush forward with anticipation, expectation, and receptivity. Within their hearts the Bereans had an enthusiasm and a hunger when it came to the word of God.

¤  Luke 24:32: And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?


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Lack of the Word

Lack of Enthusiasm for the Word leads to a lack of Study of the Word.

Lack of Study leads to a lack of hearing.

Lack of hearing leads to a lack of Faith.

Lack of Faith leads to a lack of victory.

Lack of Victory leads to a lack of Witness

Lack of Witness leads to a lack of Enthusiasm about hearing the Word.


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A Dilemma in the Church

¨  Most Christians are not asking questions—nor do they seem to be concerned about the consequences related to a lack of biblical discernment.

¨  Hebrews 2:1 - For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

¨  Those in the church who do not study the Scriptures for themselves cannot endure (take to heart and live out) sound doctrine (God’s instructions). (2 Timothy 3:3) ¤  Scripture makes it quite clear that not enduring sound

doctrine opens one up to spiritual deception

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Study the Scriptures

¨  We must study the Scriptures which are “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

¨  Without exercise of the spiritual disciplines (Meditation of the Word, prayer, fasting, worship), you will not have spiritual discernment


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Don’t Put Away Teachings

¨  Do not quench the Spirit: This means do not despise propheAc uCerances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. (1st Thess 5:19-‐22 NASB) ¤  The Apostle Paul encouraged the Thessalonians not to discount or

dismiss the Holy Spirit — by despising that which was being taught as coming from God (prophecy) — Paul instructed them to test everything.

¤  For example, if someone preaches or teaches something that he or she claims was inspired by God, we are not to quickly despise it whereby, we will quench the Spirit and possibly miss what God is saying


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We Have to Leave Elementary School

Hebrews 5:12: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary

principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

¨  It is difficult to get to a place of biblical & spiritual discernment if you don’t’ get to a place where you can eat meat ¤  “Milk,” is synonymous with the “elementary principles of the

oracles of God” (vs. 12). These would be considered the “basics” one learns upon initiation into New Covenant community.


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Get Off the Bottle

¨  Only partaking in the “milk” of the elementary principles of the faith stunts spiritual growth and limit discernment

¨  Hebrews 2:1 reminds us that we must become “accustomed” to the Word of God by meditating the Word of God ¤  The way we become accustomed is through the “practice” of engaging the

word. This produces the ability to “discern good and evil.” Discernment comes through training

¨  We are failing to grow in the Spirit-led means of discernment – devotion to the word of God. ¤  This is why discernment is lacking and deception is rampant in the church.


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Conclusion

¨  The only way to grow in spiritual discernment is: ¤ by relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit who

indwells every true Christian, and ¤ by studying God’s Word, the Bible. ¤ These two go hand-in-hand

¨  This is an ability that will require discipline, dedication, zeal, and practice

¨  The reward is greater and the results are blessing


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Practical Living Ministry

Practical Living Ministry exists to assist individuals, groups, and organizations to operate to their full God-given ability by sharing life

changing principles for spiritual growth and development.

If this message touched you, please let me hear from you. If you would like to encourage us financially to keep sharing these kind of messages, please go to our donation section on our website

at www.practicallivingministry.org

If you would like to contact Dr. Jones for a speaking engagement at your church or event concerning biblical leadership, mentoring, and Christian

culture. Please contact Pastor Kenneth Jones at

[email protected]

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Documents

BIBLICAL & SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENTo.b5z.net/i/u/10137465/f/Biblical_Discernment_4.pdfDetermine Where You and Where You Want to Go ! Determine Direction and Distance ! Important to ensure